Walking
關燈
小
中
大
arroderivesfromveho,tocarry,becausethevillaistheplacetoandfromwhichthingsarecarried.Theywhogottheirlivingbyteamingweresaidvellaturamfacere.Hence,too,theLatinwordvilisandourvilealsovillain.Thissuggestswhatkindofdegeneracyvillagersareliableto.Theyarewaywornbythetravelthatgoesbyandoverthem,withouttravelingthemselves.
Somedonotwalkatallotherswalkinthehighwaysafewwalkacrosslots.Roadsaremadeforhorsesandmenofbusiness.Idonottravelinthemmuch,comparatively,becauseIamnotinahurrytogettoanytavernorgroceryorlivery-stableordepottowhichtheylead.Iamagoodhorsetotravel,butnotfromchoicearoadster.Thelandscape-painterusesthefiguresofmentomarkaroad.Hewouldnotmakethatuseofmyfigure.Iwalkoutintoanaturesuchastheoldprophetsandpoets,Menu,Moses,Homer,Chaucer,walkedin.YoumaynameitAmerica,butitisnotAmerica:neitherAmericusVespucius,norColumbus,northerestwerethediscoverersofit.ThereisatrueramountofitinmythologythaninanyhistoryofAmerica,socalled,thatIhaveseen.
However,thereareafewoldroadsthatmaybetroddenwithprofit,asiftheyledsomewherenowthattheyarenearlydiscontinued.ThereistheOldMarlboroughRoad,whichdoesnotgotoMarlboroughnow,methinks,unlessthatisMarlboroughwhereitcarriesme.Iamtheboldertospeakofithere,becauseIpresumethatthereareoneortwosuchroadsineverytown.
THEOLDMARLBOROUGHROAD.
Wheretheyoncedugformoney,
Butneverfoundany
WheresometimesMartialMiles
Singlyfiles,
AndElijahWood,
Ifearfornogood:
Nootherman,
SaveElishaDugan—
Omanofwildhabits,
Partridgesandrabbits,
Whohastnocares
Onlytosetsnares,
Wholiv’stallalone,
Closetothebone
Andwherelifeissweetest
Constantlyeatest.
Whenthespringstirsmyblood
Withtheinstincttotravel,
Icangetenoughgravel
OntheOldMarlboroughRoad.
Nobodyrepairsit,
Fornobodywearsit
Itisalivingway,
AstheChristianssay.
Notmanytherebe
Whoentertherein,
Onlytheguestsofthe
IrishmanQuin.
Whatisit,whatisit
Butadirectionoutthere,
Andthebarepossibility
Ofgoingsomewhere?
Greatguideboardsofstone,
Buttravelersnone
Cenotaphsofthetowns
Namedontheircrowns.
Itisworthgoingtosee
Whereyoumightbe.
Whatking
Didthething,
Iamstillwondering
Setuphoworwhen,
Bywhatselectmen,
GourgasorLee,
ClarkorDarby?
They’reagreatendeavor
Tobesomethingforever
Blanktabletsofstone,
Whereatravelermightgroan,
Andinonesentence
Graveallthatisknown
Whichanothermightread,
Inhisextremeneed.
Iknowoneortwo
Linesthatwoulddo,
Literaturethatmightstand
Allovertheland,
Whichamancouldremember
TillnextDecember,
Andreadagaininthespring,
Afterthethawing.
Ifwithfancyunfurled
Youleaveyourabode,
Youmaygoroundtheworld
BytheOldMarlboroughRoad.
Atpresent,inthisvicinity,thebestpartofthelandisnotprivatepropertythelandscapeisnotowned,andthewalkerenjoyscomparativefreedom.Butpossiblythedaywillcomewhenitwillbepartitionedoffintoso-calledpleasuregrounds,inwhichafewwilltakeanarrowandexclusivepleasureonly,—whenfencesshallbemultiplied,andmantrapsandotherenginesinventedtoconfinementothepublicroad,andwalkingoverthesurfaceofGod’searthshallbeconstruedtomeantrespassingonsomegentleman’sgrounds.Toenjoyathingexclusivelyiscommonlytoexcludeyourselffromthetrueenjoymentofit.Letusimproveouropportunities,then,beforetheevildayscome.
Whatisitthatmakesitsohardsometimestodeterminewhitherwewillwalk?IbelievethatthereisasubtlemagnetisminNature,which,ifweunconsciouslyyieldtoit,willdirectusaright.Itisnotindifferenttouswhichwaywewalk.Thereisarightwaybutweareveryliablefromheedlessnessandstupiditytotakethewrongone.Wewouldfaintakethatwalk,neveryettakenbyusthroughthisactualworld,whichisperfectlysymbolicalofthepathwhichwelovetotravelintheinteriorandidealworldandsometimes,nodoubt,wefinditdifficulttochooseourdirection,becauseitdoesnotyetexistdistinctlyinouridea.
WhenIgooutofthehouseforawalk,uncertainasyetwhitherIwillbendmysteps,andsubmitmyselftomyinstincttodecideforme,Ifind,strangeandwhimsicalasitmayseem,thatIfinallyandinevitablysettlesouthwest,towardsomeparticularwoodormeadowordesertedpastureorhillinthatdirection.Myneedleisslowtosettle—variesafewdegrees,anddoesnotalwayspointduesouthwest,itistrue,andithasgoodauthorityforthisvariation,butitalwayssettlesbetweenwestandsouth-southwest.Thefutureliesthatwaytome,andtheearthseemsmoreunexhaustedandricheronthatside.Theoutlinewhichwouldboundmywalkswouldbe,notacircle,butaparabola,orratherlikeoneofthosecometaryorbitswhichhavebeenthoughttobenon-returningcurves,inthiscaseopeningwestward,inwhichmyhouseoccupiestheplaceofthesun.Iturnroundandroundirresolutesometimesforaquarterofanhour,untilIdecide,forathousandthtime,thatIwillwalkintothesouthwestorwest.EastwardIgoonlybyforcebutwestwardIgofree.Thithernobusinessleadsme.ItishardformetobelievethatIshallfindfairlandscapesorsufficientwildnessandfreedombehindtheeasternhorizon.IamnotexcitedbytheprospectofawalkthitherbutIbelievethattheforestwhichIseeinthewesternhorizonstretchesuninterruptedlytowardthesettingsun,andtherearenotownsnorcitiesinitofenoughconsequencetodisturbme.LetmelivewhereIwill,onthissideisthecity,onthatthewilderness,andeverIamleavingthecitymoreandmore,andwithdrawingintothewilderness.Ishouldnotlaysomuchstressonthisfact,ifIdidnotbelievethatsomethinglikethisistheprevailingtendencyofmycountrymen.ImustwalktowardOregon,andnottowardEurope.Andthatwaythenationismoving,andImaysaythatmankindprogressfromeasttowest.Withinafewyearswehavewitnessedthephenomenonofasoutheastwardmigration,inthesettlementofAustraliabutthisaffectsusasaretrogrademovement,and,judgingfromthemoralandphysicalcharacterofthefirstgenerationofAustralians,hasnotyetprovedasuccessfulexperiment.TheeasternTartarsthinkthatthereisnothingwestbeyondThibet.“Theworldendsthere,”saythey“beyondthereisnothingbutashorelesssea.”ItisunmitigatedEastwheretheylive.
Wegoeastwardtorealizehistoryandstudytheworksofartandliterature,retracingthestepsoftheracewegowestwardasintothefuture,withaspiritofenterpriseandadventure.TheAtlanticisaLetheanstream,inourpassageoverwhichwehavehadanopportunitytoforgettheOldWorldanditsinstitutions.Ifwedonotsucceedthistime,thereisperhapsonemorechancefortheraceleftbeforeitarrivesonthebanksoftheStyxandthatisintheLetheofthePacific,whichisthreetimesaswide.
Iknownothowsignificantitis,orhowfaritisanevidenceofsingularity,thatanindividualshouldthusconsentinhispettiestwalkwiththegeneralmovementoftheracebutIknowthatsomethingakintothemigratoryinstinctinbirdsandquadrupeds,—which,insomeinstances,isknowntohaveaffectedthesquirreltribe,impellingthemtoageneralandmysteriousmovement,inwhichtheywereseen,saysome,crossingthebroadestrivers,eachonitsparticularchip,withitstailraisedforasail,andbridgingnarrowerstreamswiththeirdead,—thatsomethinglikethefurorwhichaffectsthedomesticcattleinthespring,andwhichisreferredtoawormintheirtails,—affectsbothnationsandindividuals,eitherperenniallyorfromtimetotime.Notaflockofwildgeesecacklesoverourtown,butittosomeextentunsettlesthevalueofrealestatehere,and,ifIwereabroker,Ishouldprobablytakethatdisturbanceintoaccount.
“Thanlongenfolktogononpilgrimages,
Andpalmeresfortosekenstrangestrondes.”
EverysunsetwhichIwitnessinspiresmewiththedesiretogotoaWestasdistantandasfairasthatintowhichthesungoesdown.Heappearstomigratewestwarddaily,andtemptustofollowhim.HeistheGreatWesternPioneerwhomthenationsfollow.Wedreamallnightofthosemountainridgesinthehorizon,thoughtheymaybeofvaporonly,whichwerelastgildedbyhisrays.TheislandofAtlantis,andtheislandsandgardensoftheHesperides,asortofterrestrialparadise,appeartohavebeentheGreatWestoftheancients,envelopedinmysteryandpoetry.Whohasnotseeninimagination,whenlookingintothesunsetsky,thegardensoftheHesperides,andthefoundationofallthosefables?
Columbusfeltthewestwardtendencymorestronglythananybefore.Heobeyedit,andfoundaNewWorldforCastileandLeon.Theherdofmeninthosedaysscentedfreshpasturesfromafar.
“Andnowthesunhadstretchedoutallthehills,
Andnowwasdroppedintothewesternbay
Atlastherose,andtwitchedhismantleblue
To-morrowtofreshwoodsandpasturesnew.”
WhereontheglobecantherebefoundanareaofequalextentwiththatoccupiedbythebulkofourStates,sofertileandsorichandvariedinitsproductions,andatthesametimesohabitablebytheEuropean,asthisis?Michaux,whoknewbutpartofthem,saysthat“thespeciesoflargetreesaremuchmorenumerousinNorthAmericathaninEuropeintheUnitedStatestherearemorethanonehundredandfortyspeciesthatexceedthirtyfeetinheightinFrancetherearebutthirtythatattainthissize.”Laterbotanistsmorethanconfirmhisobservations.HumboldtcametoAmericatorealizehisyouthfuldreamsofatropicalvegetation,andhebehelditinitsgreatestperfectionintheprimitiveforestsoftheAmazon,themostgiganticwildernessontheearth,whichhehassoeloquentlydescribed.ThegeographerGuyot,himselfaEuropean,goesfurther—furtherthanIamreadytofollowhimyetnotwhenhesays:“Astheplantismadefortheanimal,asthevegetableworldismadefortheanimalworld,AmericaismadeforthemanoftheOldWorld....ThemanoftheOldWorldsetsoutuponhisway.LeavingthehighlandsofAsia,hedescendsfromstationtostationtowardsEurope.Eachofhisstepsismarkedbyanewcivilizationsuperiortothepreceding,byagreaterpowerofdevelopment.ArrivedattheAtlantic,hepausesontheshoreofthisunknownocean,theboundsofwhichheknowsnot,andturnsuponhisfootprintsforaninstant.”WhenhehasexhaustedtherichsoilofEurope,andreinvigoratedhimself,“thenrecommenceshisadventurouscareerwestwardasintheearliestages.”SofarGuyot.
FromthiswesternimpulsecomingincontactwiththebarrieroftheAtlanticsprangthecommerceandenterpriseofmoderntimes.TheyoungerMichaux,inhisTravelsWestoftheAlleghaniesin1802,saysthatthecommoninquiryinthenewlysettledWestwas,“‘Fromwhatpartoftheworldhaveyoucome?’Asifthesevastandfertileregionswouldnaturallybetheplaceofmeetingandcommoncountryofalltheinhabitantsoftheglobe.”
TouseanobsoleteLatinword,Imightsay,ExorienteluxexoccidenteFRUX.FromtheEastlightfromtheWestfruit.
SirFrancisHead,anEnglishtravelerandaGovernor-GeneralofCanada,tellsusthat“inboththenorthernandsouthernhemispheresoftheNewWorld,Naturehasnotonlyoutlinedherworksonalargerscale,buthaspaintedthewholepicturewithbrighterandmorecostlycolorsthansheusedindelineatingandinbeautifyingtheOldWorld....TheheavensofAmericaappearinfinitelyhigher,theskyisbluer,theairisfresher,thecoldisintenser,themoonlookslarger,thestarsarebrighterthethunderislouder,thelightningisvivider,thewindisstronger,therainisheavier,themountainsarehigher,theriverslonger,theforestsbigger,theplainsbroader.”ThisstatementwilldoatleasttosetagainstBuffon’saccountofthispartoftheworldanditsproductions.
Linn?ussaidlongago,“Nescioqu?faciesl?ta,glabraplantisAmericanis”(IknownotwhatthereisofjoyousandsmoothintheaspectofAmericanplants)andIthinkthatinthiscountrythereareno,oratmostveryfew,African?besti?,Africanbeasts,astheRomanscalledthem,andthatinthisrespectalsoitispeculiarlyfittedforthehabitationofman.WearetoldthatwithinthreemilesofthecenteroftheEastIndiancityofSingapore,someoftheinhabitantsareannuallycarriedoffbytigersbutthetravelercanliedowninthewoodsatnightalmostanywhereinNorthAmericawithoutfearofwildbeasts.
Theseareencouragingtestimonies.IfthemoonlookslargerherethaninEurope,probablythesunlookslargeralso.Iftheheaven
